'Endgame' Review Round-Up

With the airing of 'Endgame' on Wednesday night, Voyager's seven-year journey finally came to an end. After the episode aired, many critics posted their review of 'Endgame,' commenting as much on the episode itself as on that seven-year journey it concluded.

• John Carman at the San Francisco Chronicle said the finale was "Nice, but it hardly busts any blocks." He takes a look at what Voyager might have been without Kate Mulgrew and how UPN might have fared without Voyager to launch the network. His full article can be found by following this link.

• Michelle Erica Green was disappointed by the finale.

  I suppose I should say something about the lack of resolution to Voyager, which is canonically consistent but still frustrating. As in other Voyager episodes from "Time and Again" to "Year of Hell" to "Relativity," the writers waste most of their time creating an alternate history before rushing to a reset-button conclusion.

  To read her full review, head over to Get Critical.

• Over at IGN Sci Fi, Jason Bates awarded the episode three out of five marks.

  So I can't believe they ruined the series finale with yet another lousy time travel story, and in the process managed to give short shrift to just about everybody aboard the ship and deny them the chance for a reunion with their loved ones back home.

  You can read his full analysis here at IGN Sci Fi.

• Jim Wright pulled an all-nighter to complete his exhaustive synopsis of 'Endgame, Part One.' You can read that here, and the second part should join it some time after Sunday.

• O.Deus at Trek Web said "Voyager goes off the air with a finale that isn't quite a bang but is a fitting farewell in keeping with its themes and tone." His analysis can be found by following this link to Trek Web.

• SciFi Weekly's Kathie Huddleston thought more could have been made of the episode's battle sequences.

  But that isn't what this final episode is about. It's about the battle of the Janeways. It's about giving each character his or her due. And it's about the giving resolution to Voyager's long journey home in a satisfying way. For this series finale, that's enough.

  For her full 'Endgame' break-down, follow this link.

• Marvin Kitman for NewsDay.com said:

  The best part of the finale is Mulgrew playing herself as Capt. Janeway in her 40s and Adm. Janeway in her 70s at the same time, a tour de force of a mind meld, although sometimes confusing during long Socratic discussions with herself.

  Head over to News Day to read his full thoughts on the episode.

• EOnline took a look at the finale here. Despite being entertained by the finale, they ask if anyone still cares about the Star Trek franchise.

• For the New York Daily News David Bianculli was largely positive about the episode.

  The sense of closure this finale brings is in ending the quest, and giving many of its characters some life-changing experiences. There's a feeling, though, that the ending is truncated. It's ironic: a series that went on a year too long ends up presenting a finale that's an hour too short.

  You can read his full analysis by following this link.

• Kenneth Carter in the Birmingham News urged fans: "In a nutshell - don't miss it. For the first time in a while, this final episode of Star Trek: Voyager will end with you wanting more." You can read his complete thoughts on the episode by following this link to the Birmingham news.

• At section 31, all three regular reviewers have their thoughts on the episode up. Rob Adams gives it 8.5 out of 10, Shaun Whiteaker awarded it 8 out of 10, and Bonnie Malmat gave it 8 out of 10. You can access all three reviews at Section 31.

• Jacqueline Bundy for the TrekkerNewsletter was impressed by the episode.

  Well written. Excellently directed. Incredible effects, make up and overall production values. Suspenseful at times. Confusing at others. Wonderful acting. And filled with numerous little touches and details that would delight any fan. "Endgame" had all of these elements. But as good as it was in so many ways, it also feel a little flat for me. It lacked what I had wanted most from the finale. A satisfyingly emotional conclusion. I for one did not get that.

  The full review can be found here at the Trekker Newsletter.

• In the Houston Chronicle Rick Bentley asked the fans and the cast how they wanted to see the show end.

  "I think it's very important for us to resolve the series at some point," Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris) told him. "The pilot episode started with us getting lost and beginning this adventure. So I think it's important that we sort of resolve it and bring it to an end."

  The full article, which includes comments from Rick Berman and Robert Picardo can be found here.

• Hercules has posted a spoiler-filled "half review" of 'Endgame, Part One,' here at Aint it Cool News. Surprisingly, he liked the episode. It is awarded three and a half stars, which rates as somewhere between "better than most motion pictures" and "actually worth your valuable time."

• Over at Treknews.de, Federation Convention Moderator Marc B. Lee has posted his review of the episode. It is available in English and German, by following this link.

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